A need exists for container covers that are easy to use and also serve important safety and environmental storage functions. For instance, many households keep a large variety of containers to store food which often require distinctive covers. It is of course understood that the container, which has a top opening to which food or some other item is placed, can be covered by many items. For example, the open top can be covered by a sheet of Mylar, which basically is sold under the trademark Saran Wrap. Such sheets or similar types of sheets are manufactured by various companies. However, it is also noted that it is difficult to work with these sheets. Such materials often come on a roll. The material then has to be removed from the roll at which time it may wrinkle and because of the nature of the material it may stick to itself, thus causing great difficulty in attempting to cover openings of various containers. Another prior art technique is to cover an open container with a wax paper so that food or other items will not stick to it. The waxed paper however, does not exhibit the same properties as a thin film of Mylar. Hence, if one covers the open top of a container with wax paper one might also employ a rubber band or other securing means to assure that the paper is secured to the container and covers the top opening. In a similar manner, one may cover the entire container with such a material and use an excessive amount of material in doing so. Hence, the use of Mylar film or Saran Wrap or other materials such as aluminum foil are not easy to work with and certainly not easy to measure in regard to covering items.
As indicated above, containers often come in various sizes, with covers of such containers also being of varying size. These container covers are not always handy because they are difficult to find among the equally large variety of corresponding covers and often stored in locations different from the mating container. In other situations a need exists to cover industrial product containers, such as paints or hazardous chemicals with covers that will later readily identify the respective contents. In yet other situations, consuming beverages in public places may require a safe and effective means to cap the container to guard against the increasing use of deleterious substances that may be added to a consumer's drink. For example, date-rape drugs have been employed to render an individual incapacitated and allow a predator to commit such heinous crimes as rape, robbery and so on. Potential victims are especially vulnerable in bars and nightclubs.
Each of the foregoing applications have efficiency, safety and identification in common. The present invention provides an improved apparatus and method for affixing a cover over a container opening, which cover permits efficient use, safe storage and identification of containers and the contents.